[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2988 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







106th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 2988

              To establish a National Commission on Space.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             July 27, 2000

    Mr. Frist (for himself, Mr. Breaux, Mr. Bond, and Mr. Hollings) 
introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the 
           Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
              To establish a National Commission on Space.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Millennium National Commission on 
Space Act''.

SEC. 2. PURPOSE.

    It is the purpose of this Act to establish a National Commission on 
Space that will assist the United States--
            (1) to define the long-range needs of the Nation that may 
        be fulfilled through the peaceful uses of space;
            (2) to maintain the Nation's preeminence in space science, 
        technology, and applications;
            (3) to promote the peaceful exploration and utilization of 
        the space environment; and
            (4) to articulate goals and develop options for the future 
        direction of the Nation's civilian space program in 
        coordination with commercial space activities.

SEC. 3. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds and declares that--
            (1) the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the 
        lead civilian space agency, as established in the National 
        Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958 (42 U.S.C. 2451 et seq.), has 
        conducted a space program that has been an unparalleled 
        success, providing significant economic, social, scientific, 
        and national security benefits, and helping to maintain 
        international stability and good will;
            (2) the National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958 (42 
        U.S.C. 2451 et seq.) has provided the policy framework for 
        achieving this success, and continues to be a sound statutory 
        basis for national efforts in space;
            (3) the United States has entered an era of international 
        competition and cooperation in space, and therefore this Nation 
        must strengthen the commitment of its public and private 
        technical, financial, and institutional resources, so that the 
        United States will not lose its leadership position during the 
        coming decade;
            (4) the private sector is a major participant in the 
        utilization of the space environment;
            (5) the Nation continues its commitment to a permanently 
        manned space station in low Earth orbit, and future national 
        efforts in space will benefit from the presence of such a 
        station;
            (6) the separation of the civilian and military space 
        programs is essential to ensure the continued health and 
        vitality of both; and
            (7) the identification of long range goals and policy 
        options for the United States civilian space program through a 
        high level, representational public forum will assist the 
        President and Congress in formulating future policies for the 
        United States civilian space program.

SEC. 4. ESTABLISHMENT OF COMMISSION.

    (a) In General.--The President shall, no earlier than February 1, 
2001, and no later than May 1, 2001, establish, and appoint the members 
of, a National Commission on Space.
    (b) Membership.--
            (1) Appointments.--The Commission shall consist of 15 
        members, appointed for the life of the Commission, of whom 10 
        shall be appointed as follows:
                    (A) 3 members shall be appointed from a list of 6 
                individuals nominated by the Majority Leader of the 
                Senate in consultation with the chairman of the Senate 
                Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
                    (B) 3 members shall be appointed from a list of 6 
                individuals nominated by the Speaker of the House of 
                Representatives in consultation with the chairman of 
                the House Committee on Science.
                    (C) 2 members shall be appointed from a list of 4 
                individuals nominated by the Minority Leader of the 
                Senate in consultation with the ranking member of the 
                Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
                Transportation.
                    (D) 2 members shall be appointed from a list of 4 
                individuals nominated by the Minority Leader of the 
                House of Representatives in consultation with the 
                ranking member of the House Committee on Science.
            (2) Chairman; vice chairman.--The President shall designate 
        1 of the members of the Commission appointed under this 
        subsection to serve as Chairman, and 1 of the members to serve 
        as Vice Chairman. The Vice Chairman shall perform the functions 
        of the Chairman in the Chairman's absence.
    (c) Qualifications.--
            (1) In general.--The members shall be selected from among 
        individuals from Federal, State, and local governments, 
        industry, business, labor, academia, and the general population 
        who, by reason of their background, education, training, or 
        experience, possess expertise in scientific, technological, and 
        commercial pursuits, as well as the use and implications of the 
        use of such pursuits.
            (2) Federal officers or employees.--Not more than 3 members 
        may be employees of the Federal Government.
            (3) First time service.--Not less than 5 members shall be 
        individuals who have never before been appointed to serve on a 
        Commission established by the Federal Government.
    (d) Compensation.--Members who are not otherwise officers or 
employees of the United States shall be paid at a rate equal to the 
daily equivalent of the minimum rate of basic pay payable for level IV 
of the Executive Schedule under section 5315 of title 5, United States 
Code, for each day, including travel time, during which such members 
are engaged in the actual performance of the duties of the Commission. 
While away from their homes or regular places of business, such members 
shall be allowed travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of 
subsistence, in accordance with sections 5702 and 5703 of title 5, 
United States Code.
    (e) Ex Officio Members.--The President shall appoint 1 individual 
from each of the following Federal departments and agencies to serve as 
ex officio, advisory, non-voting members of the Commission (if such 
department or agency does not already have a member appointed to the 
Commission pursuant to subsection (a)):
            (1) National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
            (2) Department of State.
            (3) Department of Defense.
            (4) Department of Transportation.
            (5) Department of Commerce.
            (6) Department of Agriculture.
            (7) Department of the Interior.
            (8) National Science Foundation.
            (9) Office of Science and Technology Policy.
            (10) Department of Energy.
    (f) Congressional Advisory Members.--The President of the Senate 
shall appoint 2 advisory members of the Commission from among the 
Members of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives 
shall appoint 2 advisory members of the Commission from among the 
Members of the House of Representatives. Such members shall not 
participate, except in an advisory capacity, in the formulation of the 
findings and recommendations of the Commission.
    (g) Reimbursement of Expenses for Ex Officio and Congressional 
Members.--Members of the Commission appointed under subsection (e) or 
(f) shall not be entitled to receive compensation for service relating 
to the performance of the duties of the Commission, but shall be 
entitled to reimbursement for travel expenses incurred while in the 
actual performance of the duties of the Commission.
    (h) Staff.--The Commission shall appoint and fix the compensation 
of such personnel as it deems advisable. The Chairman of the Commission 
shall be responsible for--
            (1) the assignment of duties and responsibilities among 
        such personnel and their continuing supervision; and
            (2) the use and expenditures of funds available to the 
        Commission.
In carrying out the provisions of this subsection, the Chairman shall 
act in accordance with the general policies of the Commission.
    (i) Agency Assistance.--To the extent permitted by law, the 
Commission may secure directly from any executive department, agency, 
or independent instrumentality of the Federal Government any 
information it deems necessary to carry out its functions under this 
Act. Each such department, agency, and instrumentality shall cooperate 
with the Commission and, to the extent permitted by law and upon 
request of the Chairman of the Commission, furnish such information to 
the Commission.
    (j) Information-Gathering Activities.--The Commission may hold 
hearings, receive public comment and testimony, initiate surveys, and 
undertake other appropriate activities to gather the information 
necessary to carry out its activities under section 5 of this Act.
    (k) Detailed Employees.--
            (1) Authority to detail.--Upon request of the chairman of 
        the Commission, the head of any Federal department or agency 
        may detail any of the personnel of the department or agency to 
        the Commission to assist it in carrying out its duties under 
        this Act.
            (2) Reimbursement.--Any Federal Government employee may be 
        detailed to the Commission with or without reimbursement, and 
        any such detail shall be without interruption or loss of civil 
        service status or privilege.
    (l) Support and Assistance.--
            (1) Support.--The Office of Science and Technology Policy 
        shall provide support services to the Commission.
            (2) Assistance.--The Comptroller General of the United 
        States may provide assistance, including the detailing of 
        employees, to the Commission in accordance with an agreement 
        entered into with the Commission.
    (m) Other Authority.--The Commission may procure by contract, to 
the extent funds are available, the temporary or intermittent services 
of experts or consultants pursuant to section 3109 of title 5, United 
States Code. The Commission shall give public notice of any such 
contract before entering into that contract.
    (n) Applicability of FACA.--Except as otherwise provided in this 
Act, the Commission is subject to the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 
U.S.C. App.).
    (o) Funding.--There are authorized to be appropriated to the 
Commission $2,500,000 for fiscal year 2001, and $5,000,000 for fiscal 
year 2002, to carry out its duties under this Act.
    (p) Sunset.--The Commission shall cease to exist 60 days after it 
has submitted the plan required by section 5(c) of this Act.

SEC. 5. STUDY AND REPORT.

    (a) Study.--The Commission shall study existing and proposed space 
activities and formulate an agenda for the United States civilian space 
program. The Commission shall identify long range goals, opportunities, 
and policy options for United States civilian space activity for the 
next 20 years. In carrying out this responsibility, the Commission 
shall take into consideration--
            (1) the Nation's plans for a permanently manned space 
        station in low Earth orbit;
            (2) present and future scientific, economic, social, 
        environmental, and foreign policy needs of the United States, 
        and methods by which space science, technology, and 
        applications initiatives might address those needs;
            (3) the adequacy of the Nation's public and private 
        capability in fulfilling the needs identified in paragraph (2);
            (4) how a cooperative interchange between Federal agencies 
        on research and technology development, and technology transfer 
        programs can benefit the civilian space program;
            (5) opportunities for, and constraints on, the use of outer 
        space toward the achievement of Federal program objectives or 
        national needs;
            (6) current and emerging issues and concerns that may arise 
        through the utilization of space research, technology 
        development, and applications;
            (7) the Commission shall analyze the findings of the 
        reviews specified in paragraphs (1) through (6) of this 
        subsection, and develop options and recommendations for a long 
        range national civilian space policy plan.
    (b) Estimates of Requirements.--Options and recommendations 
submitted in accordance with subsection (c) of this section shall 
include, to the extent appropriate, an estimate of costs and time 
schedules, institutional requirements, and statutory modifications 
necessary for implementation of such options and recommendations.
    (c) Report.--Within 15 months after the date of the establishment 
of the Commission, the Commission shall submit to the President and to 
the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate 
and the Committee on Science of the House of Representatives, a long 
range plan for United States civilian space activity incorporating the 
results of the studies conducted under this section, together with 
recommendations for such legislation as the Commission determines to be 
appropriate.

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